metropolitan area is still growing by more than 70,000 new residents a year. A metropolitan area is a major city and its surrounding suburbs.

Today 8 out of 10 people in the United States and Canada live in a metropolitan area. In the United States, New York City ranks first with more than 18 million people. In Canada, Toronto leads the way with more than 5 million residents. These two metropolitan areas have followed a similar pattern of growth.